Clara
by darkestboy
Summary: Following recent events, the Doctor pursues Clara to learn more about her. Set within and after The Snowmen


**Name: **Clara

**Characters: **11th Doctor, Clara Oswald, TARDIS and Original Character.

**Synopsis: **The Doctor and Clara have some extra time getting to know each other over the Christmas period. Set within and after _The Snowmen_.

_Run you clever boy and remember._

"Clara. Oswin. Oswald," the Doctor said in a voice that reeked of promise. "Watch me run."

The Doctor looked at the monitor and there he saw a picture of the woman whose life for the second time he had been unable to prevent from saving. First she had become a Dalek, one of the most dangerous things in the universe and then she fallen to her death by the Ice Lady. Even then the Doctor knew that somewhere in the universe, Clara Oswald was out there and he was going to find her.

_It's a big universe, she could be anywhere. Anywhere in space and time. Think about it my beautiful idiot. Just think. It's not unlike trying to find a needle in a haystack._

It was as if the TARDIS was trying to communicate with him and while the Doctor listened to what his newly redesigned spaceship was saying to him but it didn't deter him, not for one second.

"Is this because she said you were smaller on the outsider?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You have to admit no-one's ever said that to you before."

_Or about me, Doctor either. You're smitten with her, aren't you?_

"Am not!" the Doctor said huffily as he began scanning for Clara. "But there's something about her. Twice I've met her and twice she died and -,"

_- And yet you think she's out there somewhere waiting for you? As I was saying – smitten!_

"Oh, shut up, you're supposed to be on my side." The Doctor flicked his fingers between his hair and looked at the monitor. "Besides she's interesting. I'm over a thousand years old and when something's interesting, I pay attention."

_Or when it's someone. I hope she's worth it, Doctor. She's clever, I'll give you that. Maybe she's cleverer than you._

"What was I saying about you being on my side?

_I am on your side. I'm always on your side and I'm better at finding people and things than you, my thief._

"Meaning?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow in suspicion of his machine.

_Step outside those doors. You'll see exactly what I mean._

"Just exactly who are you, Clara Oswin Oswald?" the Doctor murmured to himself before stepping outside to see where exactly in time and space the TARDIS had brought him in order to find Clara once again.

Clara Oswald was staring at the grave of a woman who shared her name but died hundreds of years before at the same age that she was now. The inscription of "Remember me for we shall meet again" intrigued her more than anything but she could tell that her friend was less enamoured with spending an afternoon in a graveyard.

"I hate this place," the young woman moaning as Clara turned to look at her. "Don't you think it's creepy?"

"Nah," Clara smiled, giving one last glance to the gravestone with her namesake before walking towards her friend. "I don't believe in ghosts."

"Well, goodie for you," her friend responded slightly snappish. Clara had promised an exciting day out and so far, she realised that she hadn't really delivered on that one just yet. "Can we please go now? There are better things we could be doing with our time than looking at graves. You can be so morbid at times, Clara."

"I'm not morbid," Clara replied and while her tone was light, she was a little defensive as well. "I'm just intrigued, that's all."

"Maybe you should just find yourself a boyfriend or a girlfriend or whatever you're into and not spend your days hanging out at graves," her friend said, only this time her voice was more teasing than impatient. "Seriously, you should get yourself out there. It's not like someone's gonna fall out of a cloud when you least expect it."

"Why not?" Clara smiled as she glanced at the gravestone one last time before both her and her friend began to make their way out of the graveyard. "Stranger things have happened. I mean, look at the people who run our country?"

"You sound exactly like your dad," her friend teased as they were gone from the graveyard but in the distance, Clara thought she could hear a whirring sound. "You really do need to get out more. Enjoy some adult company for a change."

"Well, then, you're off the list," Clara laughed as both her and her friend crossed the road and when they made the other side near a shop, she stopped for a second. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should get out more."

"I'm always right," the friend smiled with delight. "I'll just go and get us some ice creams."

"I'll wait here," Clara said firmly as she gave her friend some money, who then went into the shop to get the both of them some ice cream on the warmest of days they were having.

As she waited, Clara thought she heard that whirring sound once again and more importantly, she thought she saw a man in the far distance standing beside what looked like a police telephone, dressed all Victorian. She was transfixed on the man and for a moment they said nothing as they watched each other. He looked familiar but Clara had no idea where she had seen him before.

"Doctor Who?" Clara murmured to herself, looking at the man as he gave her a wave and headed back into his blue box.

From the look on his face, Clara just knew that at some point, she was going to cross paths with this man and that alone, filled her with both excitement and a tiny bit of trepidation. As she walked back to her place of work after saying goodbye to her friend, it was there and then that her reunion with the mysterious stranger came to pass.

"Hello, soufflé girl."

- The End -


End file.
